Cap. Metro’s light rail proposal is basically a seven-year, twenty-mile construction project through the heart of Austin.  During construction, heavy equipment will add significant pollution to our already-dirty air.  We must begin to deal with clean air issues immediately, not increase pollution for the next seven years while building light rail.

 
Program Descriptions
 

1.     Replace 100 buses each year for four years.  The federal government will pay eighty percent (80%) of the cost.  Cost to local taxpayers: about six million per year.  Replacing noisy polluting diesels with clean quiet electric hybrids will improve air quality and increase ridership.

2.     “Pre-paid” fares, also known as “no-fares,” are more accurate names for what used to be called “free” fares.  Everyone pays for transit (Cap. Metro) by buying stuff.  People who actually ride the bus must pay a second time. The sales tax is regressive, meaning it is most burdensome to the poor. Those who can least afford it have to pay twice to ride the bus. Also, eliminating the fare will increase the operating efficiency of the entire system.

3.     Increase the fleet to accommodate the increase in ridership that will follow the implementation of 1) and 2).  People will respond to “no-fares” in droves, as they did when the busses ran free in Austin in 1990.  People will also strongly respond to vehicles that don’t emit poisonous pollutants.  It’s best not to poison your customers.

4.     Add express lines from remote parking areas:  Park and Rides.  Establish ten (or so) lots on the edge of the city, and keep thousands of cars from coming into the inner city.  Air quality will improve.

5.     Van pools have been very successful in the past.  Improve, expand the service, advertise it, and remove the cost barrier.  Each van can replace six or seven cars.

6.     This program recognizes the fact that most of Cap. Metro’s constituents will not ride a bus, but will continue to use a personal vehicle.  This will encourage people to learn about clean cars and assist them in purchasing.

7.     This program encourages people to bike to work. An electric bike is a realistic transit choice for thousands, especially for people who live within five miles of their work.  This is a cheap way to have less traffic congestion, cleaner air, and a more healthy populace.

8.     Buy old smoking cars to stop their gross pollution.  Newer vehicles run cleaner.  Put the worst polluters in the junkyard.

9.     Telecommuting…working from home…has enormous potential, as more people have computers at home and at work.  If people could work from home just one day a week, it will have a huge impact on congestion and air quality.  There’s been a lot of talk about telecommuting; this program puts some real money behind it.

10. People waiting for a bus must have better protection from traffic: shelters, shade, benches, etc.  People who are willing to ride the bus should be as comfortable as possible.  Standing by the side of the road waiting is not a pleasant experience, generally.

11. Bus turnouts allow the bus to pull over out of the traffic to load and unload passengers.  More traffic can flow more smoothly.  This will be most appropriate where new roads and streets are built.

12.  Trains running on existing tracks, or at least on dedicated right-of-way, makes much more sense than trains running down the middle of our busiest streets.  Taking up two lanes of our busiest streets with light rail will increase congestion and air pollution.  If we need to have a train, let’s put it where there’s always been a train.  (Like building our new airport where there had been an airport saved hundreds of millions of dollars.